AP: Texas

03/19/2007

Associated Press

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington still has a tough decision to make for the fifth starter in the rotation.

He doesn't mind too much, though, because all three remaining candidates have been pitching well in spring training.

"Hopefully, it goes down to the last meeting that we have to have to do it," Washington said. "If they keep pitching the way I feel they are capable of pitching, whatever guy we leave out of here with, I feel we'll be all right."

Before the Rangers' only off day of the spring Monday, left-hander Bruce Chen and right-handers Kameron Loe and Jamey Wright continued their impressive springs in consecutive starts.

"Ron has a very tough decision to make," Chen said after throwing three scoreless innings Sunday to lower his spring ERA to 0.77 in four games.

"There's been separation," Washington said. "Loe, Chen and Wright have separated themselves from the pack."

Loe, who came out of last spring in the rotation before being sidelined by a sore elbow, hasn't allowed an earned run in 13 2-3 innings over four games this year. He threw five shutout innings Saturday.

"I'm feeding off the competition," Loe said. "I've got a little more fire knowing I have to earn my spot."

Wright gave up his first earned runs Friday night, but still has a 2.16 ERA over 8 1-3 innings in three games. He has six strikeouts and two walks.

John Koronka (12.00 ERA) and Josh Rupe (15.43 ERA), solely a reliever last season but considered a starting candidate this spring, were sent to the minor leagues Sunday. Edinson Volquez, who ended last season in the rotation, was in the first group of cuts last week.

John Rheinecker hasn't even pitched this spring because of back spasms and Washington said it would be impossible now for Rheinecker to start the season in the rotation.

Washington made it clear from the beginning that performance would determine who joined the rotation with Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy and Robinson Tejeda.

Wright and Chen are experienced pitchers in camp as non-roster invitees. Wright, a first-round pick by Colorado in 1993, has started 237 games over 11 major league seasons with five teams, and Chen has 237 appearances (112 starts) over nine seasons with eight teams.

If not on the 40-man roster at the end of spring training, Wright and Chen can become free agents. Loe, with 65 appearances (24 starts) over the past three season, still can be optioned to Oklahoma without being exposed to other teams.

Wright made San Francisco's rotation last spring as a non-roster invitee and was 5-3 before losing seven of his last eight decisions. He went to Seattle's camp in 2003 on a minor league contract and was with the Chicago Cubs in 2004, but was released at the end of each spring.

"I'm just trying to simplify everything," said Wright, who has changed his delivery this spring. "Everything is about mechanics. It's pretty refreshing to have a pitching coach tell me that I want you to forget about everything else, go out there let the ball go, air it out."

After winning 13 games for Baltimore in 2005, Chen was 0-7 with a 6.93 ERA for the Orioles last season. The Rangers signed him to a minor league deal after he had a solid winter in Puerto Rico.

"If I end up making the club because I'm throwing the ball good, then that's good. If I'm not making the club but I'm still throwing the ball good, it's OK. I know I have a shot, either here or somewhere else," Chen said. "The most important thing for me is to go out there and get back to the form where I was in 2005."

Notes:@ RHP Brandon McCarthy started a Triple-A game Monday, allowing three hits and two runs, one earned, in five innings. He walked two and struck out five. ... Right-handed reliever Wes Littleton allowed a hit and struck out three in one inning in a Double-A game.